Aaron’s hand slid up her back, tangling in her hair as he tilted her head to deepen the angle. His other hand stayed firm on her waist, anchoring her as if he feared she might disappear. When he finally pulled back, both of them were breathing heavily, their faces mere inches apart. His silver eyes burned with intensity as they locked onto hers, his hand still tangled in her hair. “Don’t test me like that again, Lily,” he murmured, his voice rough and edged with warning.Lily’s heart thundered in her chest, and for once, she couldn’t find the words to respond. She just stared at him, her cheeks flushed, her lips tingling from the force of his kiss. Aaron released her slowly, as if it took every ounce of restraint to let her go. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, his jaw still tight. “I’ll be in my study,” he muttered, his voice softer now but still laced with an undercurrent of tension. "Let me know if you need anything."Without waiting for her response, he turned
Aaron's shirt waas slightly wrinkled, it gave him a rare, disheveled appearance. It was strange how someone could look so composed yet so worn at the same time.“You’ve been busy,” he commented, his eyes scanning the neatly arranged shelves and the faint aroma of food coming from the kitchen.“Just trying to keep myself occupied,” she replied, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.Aaron nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he moved to the bar cart in the corner of the room. He poured himself a drink, the sound of the liquid filling the glass somehow amplifying the tension in the room.Lily hesitated before speaking. “About this morning...” She had waited since he left, with this unsettling feeling...to talk to him about it and complete the conversation and she wasnt afraid of facing it again.Aaron turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “What about it?”“I just-” She paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t understand you. One moment yo
Lily nearly choked, coughing as she set her sandwich down. “He’s just...a family friend. I told you.”Maya raised a skeptical brow. “Right. Family friend who looks at you like you’re the only person in the room? Sure.”Lily groaned, burying her face in her hands. “It’s not like that.”“Whatever you say,” Maya teased, nudging her playfully.Later during the break, Aaron joined Lily in the courtyard. He had skipped one of his classes to take a call, but his focus was now entirely on her.“You’re handling this well,” he commented, handing her a bottle of water.“Handling what?”“The stares. The whispers. The attention.”Lily shrugged, though the weight of it was something she couldn’t deny. “I’ve learned to ignore it. Besides, I think most of the attention is because of you.”Aaron smirked, his confidence infuriatingly intact. “Can you blame them?”Before she could respond, a familiar voice called out. “Lily!”She turned to see one of her friends approaching, a wide grin on her face. "I
Lily turned toward Aaron, startled, the glass in her hand trembling slightly. “Do you always have to sneak up on people like that?”Aaron raised a brow, stepping into the kitchen with that quiet confidence that always seemed to unnerve her. “I wasn’t sneaking. You were too lost in thought to notice me.”She rolled her eyes, setting the glass down. “What do you want, Aaron?”“To check if you’ve finished sulking over your book,” he teased, leaning against the counter across from her.Lily huffed but couldn’t fight the faint smile tugging at her lips. “I wasn’t sulking. I was... processing.”“Processing?”“Yes. Processing how someone as insufferable as you managed to take over the living room and turn it into your makeshift office when you have your own study,"Aaron chuckled, his eyes glinting. “The study wont have you, but if you dont like my company, you're welcome to leave and occupy my study instead.”Lily narrowed her eyes, grabbing a dishcloth and tossing it at him. “You’re unbeli
Aaron tilted his head slightly, his lips brushing her temple in a featherlight touch that made her heart stutter. “Tell me to stop, and I will.” She swallowed hard, the words forming but never leaving her mouth. Did she want him to stop? Did she even know what she wanted anymore? When she didn’t answer, Aaron took it as permission, his lips ghosting down to her cheek, then to her jawline. Each touch sent shivers coursing through her, a warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t ignore. Lily’s hands rested against his chest, her fingers curling slightly into his shirt as if to steady herself. The tension was suffocating, but in the most exhilarating way. “Aaron,” she finally managed to say, her voice barely audible. “Hmm?” His mouth lingered near the corner of her lips, tantalizingly close yet not quite there. “I don’t know what we’re doing,” she admitted, her honesty cutting through the haze between them. Aaron paused, pulling back just enough to meet her
It was an autumn morning and the streets of Belgravia were nearly full with tourists from across the world.Lily Sterling , an 18-year-old, residing in Belgravia, a western central district of London was getting ready for her wedding.She had an elder sister named Rose with whom she was not particularly close.Rose and Lily were the daughters of Ronald Sterling and Rebecca Sterling.Ronald Sterling was the 32nd richest bussinesman in London. Th Sterlings were going through a downfall in their company as The Williams offered to help through partnership. The Sterlings were looking for a man for their elder daughter after getting to know that she had an affair with her classmate from college.The Williams wanted their son to get married as well, as he was now settled and declared as the CEO of their company. Both of the families needed each other and hence agreed upon marrying their children.Rose was to be married to the CEO of the largest company known to London and also a billionaire, Za
Lily quickly followed Zared before he disappeared from her sight.She went behind him and followed him upstairs to where his room was."Come with me" Zared said with a straight face and went along the hallway of the first floor. Lily followed him quietly until he stopped at the end of the hallway. "This will be your room. I don't like anyone invading my privacy so you'll stay here and I'll be in my room" He completed his sentence with a cold voice and a straight face and made his way to his room without turning back to even take a glance at Lily or wait for her to reply.It was as if he was talking to himself. “Wait” Lily said, making Zared sigh and turn around with his eyebrows raised in question.“I know we've both been forced into this, but let's just accept it? After all, there's nothing else we can do“ Zared scoffed a little, turned around and brought his steps forward towards Lily. “That's probably what you wanted all along. Listen to me, I'm never going to accept you neither t
Lily woke up to the sound of the ringing alarm, her hands stretched and found her phone to dismiss it. She lied on the bed, staring at nothing, contemplating that today would just be another day of trying to gain Zared's attention and trust. It was Lily’s ultimate goal since she got married to Zared nearly 6 months ago. You can also say it was her daily routine now. She had been misunderstood and mistreated for far too long and she deserved to be trusted and loved, is what she thought. She was madly in love with Zared, and every time her gaze met his ocean blue eyes, she would fall in love with him all over again, but she could not do anything to prove that it was genuine. Tearing the blanket off her body, she got up and made her way towards the shower.Over the course of the six months, Zared never gave Lily a single tender glance, instead, he would yell at her and beg her to leave him alone. It seemed to him that Lily was only seeking his attention in order to get his credit cards s
Aaron tilted his head slightly, his lips brushing her temple in a featherlight touch that made her heart stutter. “Tell me to stop, and I will.” She swallowed hard, the words forming but never leaving her mouth. Did she want him to stop? Did she even know what she wanted anymore? When she didn’t answer, Aaron took it as permission, his lips ghosting down to her cheek, then to her jawline. Each touch sent shivers coursing through her, a warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t ignore. Lily’s hands rested against his chest, her fingers curling slightly into his shirt as if to steady herself. The tension was suffocating, but in the most exhilarating way. “Aaron,” she finally managed to say, her voice barely audible. “Hmm?” His mouth lingered near the corner of her lips, tantalizingly close yet not quite there. “I don’t know what we’re doing,” she admitted, her honesty cutting through the haze between them. Aaron paused, pulling back just enough to meet her
Lily turned toward Aaron, startled, the glass in her hand trembling slightly. “Do you always have to sneak up on people like that?”Aaron raised a brow, stepping into the kitchen with that quiet confidence that always seemed to unnerve her. “I wasn’t sneaking. You were too lost in thought to notice me.”She rolled her eyes, setting the glass down. “What do you want, Aaron?”“To check if you’ve finished sulking over your book,” he teased, leaning against the counter across from her.Lily huffed but couldn’t fight the faint smile tugging at her lips. “I wasn’t sulking. I was... processing.”“Processing?”“Yes. Processing how someone as insufferable as you managed to take over the living room and turn it into your makeshift office when you have your own study,"Aaron chuckled, his eyes glinting. “The study wont have you, but if you dont like my company, you're welcome to leave and occupy my study instead.”Lily narrowed her eyes, grabbing a dishcloth and tossing it at him. “You’re unbeli
Lily nearly choked, coughing as she set her sandwich down. “He’s just...a family friend. I told you.”Maya raised a skeptical brow. “Right. Family friend who looks at you like you’re the only person in the room? Sure.”Lily groaned, burying her face in her hands. “It’s not like that.”“Whatever you say,” Maya teased, nudging her playfully.Later during the break, Aaron joined Lily in the courtyard. He had skipped one of his classes to take a call, but his focus was now entirely on her.“You’re handling this well,” he commented, handing her a bottle of water.“Handling what?”“The stares. The whispers. The attention.”Lily shrugged, though the weight of it was something she couldn’t deny. “I’ve learned to ignore it. Besides, I think most of the attention is because of you.”Aaron smirked, his confidence infuriatingly intact. “Can you blame them?”Before she could respond, a familiar voice called out. “Lily!”She turned to see one of her friends approaching, a wide grin on her face. "I
Aaron's shirt waas slightly wrinkled, it gave him a rare, disheveled appearance. It was strange how someone could look so composed yet so worn at the same time.“You’ve been busy,” he commented, his eyes scanning the neatly arranged shelves and the faint aroma of food coming from the kitchen.“Just trying to keep myself occupied,” she replied, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.Aaron nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he moved to the bar cart in the corner of the room. He poured himself a drink, the sound of the liquid filling the glass somehow amplifying the tension in the room.Lily hesitated before speaking. “About this morning...” She had waited since he left, with this unsettling feeling...to talk to him about it and complete the conversation and she wasnt afraid of facing it again.Aaron turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “What about it?”“I just-” She paused, searching for the right words. “I don’t understand you. One moment yo
Aaron’s hand slid up her back, tangling in her hair as he tilted her head to deepen the angle. His other hand stayed firm on her waist, anchoring her as if he feared she might disappear. When he finally pulled back, both of them were breathing heavily, their faces mere inches apart. His silver eyes burned with intensity as they locked onto hers, his hand still tangled in her hair. “Don’t test me like that again, Lily,” he murmured, his voice rough and edged with warning.Lily’s heart thundered in her chest, and for once, she couldn’t find the words to respond. She just stared at him, her cheeks flushed, her lips tingling from the force of his kiss. Aaron released her slowly, as if it took every ounce of restraint to let her go. He stepped back, running a hand through his hair, his jaw still tight. “I’ll be in my study,” he muttered, his voice softer now but still laced with an undercurrent of tension. "Let me know if you need anything."Without waiting for her response, he turned
Aaron’s gaze darkened, and he stood up slowly, closing the small distance between them. His towering frame loomed over her, and she straightened up.He reached out, placing one hand on the couch beside her hip, effectively caging her in. The intensity in his silver eyes sent her heart into a frenzied rhythm.“I told you,” he murmured, his voice low and smooth like a dangerous caress, “if you thank me one more time, you’ll face the consequences.”Her breath hitched, her lips parting in surprise. “I-”"You were curious, werent you. About what the consequences would be" Before she could speak, he leaned in, his lips brushing against the curve of her neck. The warmth of his breath sent shivers cascading down her spine. His other hand settled lightly on her waist, firm yet gentle, keeping her rooted in place as his lips trailed lower, leaving a burning path that made her knees feel like jelly. She was grateful she was sitting at the moment.Her hands instinctively found his chest, the sol
“You should be resting,” Aaron said, his tone soft but firm.“And you should be cleaning yourself up,” she countered, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. “Sit down.”Aaron hesitated but eventually sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. Lily moved closer, her eyes scanning his injuries with a mix of concern and frustration.“Take off your shirt,” she said, her voice steady.Aaron raised an eyebrow, the corner of his busted lip tugging upward despite the pain. “Bold of you, Ms. Lily.” It reminded Lily of the old Aaron, the one he used to be before all this.But she rolled her eyes, setting the first aid kit down on the nightstand. “Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Knight. I’m trying to help.”With a small smirk, Aaron unbuttoned his blood-stained shirt, shrugging it off to reveal a collection of bruises across his chest and abdomen. Lily inhaled sharply, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for the antiseptic.“This is worse than I thought,” she murmured, pouring
Damian approached her cautiously. “Ms. Lily, I understand your concern, but Mr. Knight is more resourceful than you realize. He won’t let anything happen to himself or you.” Lily turned to him, her eyes blazing. “You talk like he’s invincible, but he’s not! He’s human, Damian. And humans make mistakes.” Damian’s expression softened slightly, though his tone remained formal. “Perhaps. But he’s also determined, and when it comes to your safety, nothing will stop him.” Lily sank into the nearest chair, her mind racing. She hated feeling so helpless, so removed from everything that was happening. As the hours dragged on, she kept glancing at the clock, each passing minute feeling like an eternity. And then, finally, the sound of the front door opening reached her ears. She sprang to her feet, her heart leaping as Aaron stepped inside. Lily’s breath caught as she took in his disheveled appearance. His shirt was stained with blood, smudged across his chest and sleeves. His
“But don’t expect me to just sit here and wait for bad news.” Lily continued. Aaron exhaled, stepping closer to her one last time. His hand lingered near her cheek, as if he wanted to touch her but held himself back. “Lily,” he said softly, “you have to believe in me. I’ll come back. I always do.” Lily, caught between disappointment and confusion, watched as Aaron exited the study without another word. Damian’s presence, stiff and formal as always, only added to the awkwardness of the moment. “Ms. Lily,” Damian said, his tone polite but distant, “perhaps you should rest for now.” But rest was the last thing on Lily’s mind. She sat down in the study chair, staring at the door Aaron had walked through, wondering if she’d ever fully understand the man who seemed determined to shield her from everything-including himself. In the car, Aaron’s face hardened as they approached the outskirts of the city. He glanced at his phone, which still displayed the coordinates from the tra